1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a computer-readable recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, office devices such as image forming apparatuses and fax machines have frequently been used in offices to improve the efficiency of business operations. When an office device is installed in an office, people working at the office can register information regarding their own PCs in the office device or make preferable settings regarding the functions to be used with the office device (customization), so that the efficiency of business operations is improved.
The above described settings can be made via an operations panel of the office device. However, it is time-consuming and difficult to operate an operations panel of an office device, compared to operating a PC. Furthermore, when plural office devices are to be used, the same operation needs to be repeated for all of the office devices.
Conventionally, a technology has been proposed to set setting data with a PC, and download the setting data into each office device (see, for example, patent document 1). With such a technology, settings for an office device can be made relatively easily with the use of a PC.
However, with the technology described in patent document 1, the downloaded setting data is commonly applied to all of the users using the office device. Thus, the users have no choice but to use the common settings. In order to make individual settings, the user has to use the operations panel of the office device every time he uses the office device.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-234617